Headlight screen



Feb, 6,; 1923. 1,444,243.,

1. J. GASPIE.

HEADLIGHT SCREEN.

FILED FEB. 23, 1922..

Patented Feh. 6, EQZEO JOHN J. GASPIE, OF NEW BEDFURD, MASSACHUSETTS.

HEADLIGHT SCREEN.

Application filed February 23, 1922.

Be it known that I. JOHN J. tlasrin, a citizen of the United States, and residing at- New Bedford, Bristol County, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Headlight Screens, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to screens for headlights such as those used on automobiles and is designed to lessen the glare and blinding effect of such lights on persons approached by an automobile carrying them. it embodies-means tending to prevent the rays of light from extending upwardly at an angle striking the eyes of pedestrians and occupants of other automobiles. It constitutes an attachment adapted to be secured on t-he headlight housing projecting forwardly and including a series of transverse plates or shades and embodies novel features of construction which'reduce the work and cost of manufacture and produce more satisfactory results. It avoids the troubles and difficulties heretofore encountered in making satisfactory devices of this type and particularly the serious defect in prior devices of obscuring the light by the collection of snow, ice, water or other foreign matter on the transparent closure for the headlight and at the same timereduces objectionable glare in the faces of others while permitting full illumination of the road surface. The novel features will be more fully understood from the following description and claims taken with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is-a front view of a device embodying the invention in place on a headlight housing:

Fig. 2 is in part a vertical sectionon the line 22 of Figure 1; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side view showing the spring catch for holding the screen in closed position.

In the form of the invention shown for purposes of illustration there is a headlight housing 10 of metal of usual form and it has within it a parabolic reflector 11 and an incandescent lamp 12. The edge of the housing is turned in at 13 and known means for carrying the transparent closure 14 which is made of glass is secured to the open end of the housing and its flange. This holding means includes the channel shaped Serial No. 538,630.

member 15 haring a cylindrical outer face and a front wall 16 at right angles to the axes of the headlight and in normal position in a. vertical plane The device constituting the present invention includes a cylindrical casting 17 which has open ends and which at one end fits the outer surface of the part 15 of the headlight housing and has hinged connection at 18 on one side to that housing, as shown in l*igure 1. On the opposite side from hinge 18 there is a spring catch 19 which moves over and interlocks with lug 20 on the housing, as sho-wn in Figure 3. Horizontal plates 21 are mounted in the casing 17 extending from the front end inwardly but terminating a material distance from the inner end which is connected to the headlight housing, thus leaving an open vertical passageway bet-ween their inner ends and the surface of the headlight and that any snow,

sur-

lts' transparent closure 1% so ice, rain or other foreign matter which passes into the casing may descend by gravity. The casing is provided with an opening 22 extending from the front wall 16 of the headlight housing towards the outer end of the casing for a predetermined distance which may vary but the inner end of which as shown is below the inner ends of the plates 21 so that matter dropping down over the inner ends of those plates may pass by gravity out of the casing. This provision of a passageway for the snow. water and other material which enters the casing constitutes an important feature of the invention since without some such structure or means for securing its result, the light will be obscured by the collection of matter on the transparent closure or in front of it and particularly at the bottom where the rays normally extend at a downward angle to the road near the car. The plates or shades 21 preferably have surfaces which are dull so as not to serve as reflectors for the light and the result is that the rays of light are limited so far as the vertical angles thereof are concerned and preferably these plates are spaced uniform distances vertically from each other in the casing.

Although one specific embodiment of the invention is shown for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that it is not limited to this specific form beyond what is called for in the claims.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A screen for headlights comprising a casing open at its ends adapted to be secured at one end to and around the margin of a headlight housing and provided with an ipening in its lower portion extending from the transverse line of attachment to said housing forwardly for a predetermined distance serving as a discharge opening for snow, water and other matter which enters the casing and a series of plates in said casing having edges in transverse horizontal planes, extending part way inwardly from the outer end but terminatinga short distance from a vertical plane at the line of attachment to the housing thus furnishing a vertical passageway between their inner ends and the headlight mechanism for the passage of snow, water and other matter to said discharge opening.

2. A screen for headlights comprising a casing open at its ends adapted to be secured at one end to and around the margin of a headlight housing and provided with an opening in its lower portion extending from the transverse line of attachment to said housing forwardly for a predetermined distance serving as a discharge opening for snow, water and other matter which enters the casing and a series of parallel horizontal plates having dull non-reflecting surfaces secured in and across said casing and extending from the outer end part way towards the inner end which is adapted to be secured to the housing but terminating a material distance in advance of the space occupied by the headlight when in place thereon.

3. In a device of the class described the combination with aheadlight including a housing and a transparent end closure therefor, ashield including a casing secured to said housing around the margin of said closure and projecting forwardly therefrom and provided with a discharge opening for snow, water and other matter in its bottom wall extending from the connecting edge of said housing forwardly for a fixed distance and transversely arranged shading means in the outer end portion of said casing spaced longitudinally from said closure a sufficient distance to provide an open passageway down said closure to said discharge openin.

4. In a device of the class described the combination with a headlight including a housing and a transparent end closure therefor. a shield including a casing secured to said housing around the margin of said closure and projecting forwardly therefrom and provided with a discharge opening for snow, water and other matter in its bottom wall extending from the connecting edge of said housing forwardly for a fixed distance and a series of horizontal parallel plates in said casing extending from the forward end inward hutterminating a short distance from said housing and closure thus forming a passageway down said closure to said discharge openin In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

JOHN J. GASPIE. 

